Bloomington-Normal

Bloomington, pop. 77,000 (2010 census), is a city in the Midwestern state of Illinois in the United States of America, on the classic Route 66 highway across the country. With neighboring Normal, pop. 52,000 (2010 census), it forms a combined community of about 130,000 known locally as the Twin Cities. Illinois Wesleyan University is in Bloomington, and is not to be confused with Illinois State University in Normal.

Understand
The Bloomington-Normal area is in the heart of Central Illinois, approximately 125 miles southwest of Chicago, 155 miles northeast of St. Louis, and 64 miles northeast of Springfield, the State Capital. Bloomington is the County Seat of McLean County, the largest county in Illinois (approximately 762,240 acres). Interstates 39, 55 and 74 converge on Bloomington-Normal, as well as US Route 51 and State Route 9.

Bloomington-Normal is also serviced by four major railroad lines and Amtrak, as well as air transportation at the Central Illinois Regional Airport, one of the fastest growing airports in the country, which services commuter, corporate, and private aircraft.

The Twin Cities are located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the nation, but the economy is diverse and well-balanced. In addition to the major manufacturers and industries, there are two universities, two hospitals, a convention center, two indoor malls, an outdoor outlet mall, and many banks and Savings & Loan Associations located in Bloomington-Normal. The metropolitan area continues to grow; in 2013, the city of Bloomington was the country's 11th-fastest growing city. New construction continues to enhance residential, industrial and commercial growth.

By plane
The  has daily arrivals from Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Dallas, along with 4-times-a-week service from Orlando and Denver. A smaller airport, Peoria International Airport is 45 minutes away and offers arrivals from additional cities. Parking is free at both airports.

By car
Interstate highways 39, 55 and 74 converge on the south side of Bloomington and divide again on the north side of Normal. I-55 follows the historic route of Route 66 through central Illinois, except that Route 66 bypassed Bloomington-Normal on the east rather than on the west as the interstates do. Veterans Parkway, the east-side bypass (formerly called "Belt Line Road", was renamed in the 1980s), was the Route 66 route in the immediate pre-Interstate period. Earlier, 66 passed through downtown Bloomington and into residential Normal. The route given in the Route 66 page reflects this original alignment, known as "Business 66" after Veterans Parkway was built.

By bus

 * Greyhound buses serve Bloomington-Normal from Indianapolis, Chicago, and St. Louis.
 * Peoria Charter runs buses to Bloomington-Normal from Chicago and Peoria.
 * Burlington Trailways serves Bloomington-Normal from Indianapolis to the east and as far west as Denver.
 * SHOW BUS connects Bloomington-Normal and outlying communities.

By bicycle

 * The Mackinaw Valley Trail links Peoria to Bloomington-Normal through Mackinaw.
 * Illinois' Route 66 Trail runs through Bloomington-Normal from the northeast to the southwest. McLean County's own local Route 66 trail has improved the alignment in preparation for the Illinois segment of U.S. Bicycle Route 66. Adventure Cycling's Bicycle Route 66 mostly follows the latter.

Get around

 * Connect Transit. Buses cover most of the community. Downtown Bloomington is well walkable, but most shopping, etc., is on the eastern side of the towns and is best reached by car or bus.

Buy
Downtown Bloomington has shops, including some that sell beads, crafts, used books, used clothes and other funky items. For more mainstream shopping, most of what you want can be found on the stores lining Veteran's Parkway.

Drink








Go next

 * Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake are two man-made lakes north of town that offer fishing, camping, and boating opportunities.
 * If you're doing the Route 66 tour northbound, the next significant bit of Americana is in the small town of Pontiac, which hosts the annual "Thresermen's Reunion" tractor pull event and is home to the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum and other similarly themed tourist attractions. Southbound, stop in McLean at the Dixie Truckers Home, a prototypical (and, according to some, the nation's first) truck stop.